So it's been a while
since my last blog and I have been busy, including being on a
ministry trip with Bill Johnson to Pennsylvania which was a real
privilege to be part of. As well as that I have had school, a visit
from a friend from New Zealand, the Prophetic Conference and much,
much more. I love my life though!
God has challenged me
though to see my time alone as important and precious, just like I
see my time with everyone else. I put time in my diary for me but
then someone wants to meet or there is an opportunity to do something
and my time goes out the window. So, as I write this blog, I am
having a day of silence! For those of you who know me, you know this
is a challenge! Thankfully, what Papa calls us to he gives us the
grace for and so far so good!
This time is about me
recognising how important my time is and how much I appreciate having
some alone time. I love people and am very intentional in
relationship but I do this best when I am intentional with me too!
Papa knows this and knows it is difficult to meet with others when
you are silent so for today and the next 3 Fridays I will be in
silence, just me and God. Blessed indeed!
The ministry trip with
Bill was such a blessing though it was a whirlwind trip. We left on
Wednesday morning to land in New Jersey late Wednesday night (as it
is the east coast there is a 3 hour time difference). We then
travelled to our hotel which was also in New Jersey but we ministered
for 2 days in Washington Crossing (famous for Washington's crossing
of the Delaware in 1776 which was a turning point in the American
Revolutionary War) in a beautiful United Methodist Church. We got to
spend a few hours in Princeton (the most English looking town here
that I have seen, though a real mix of building materials and
styles!) before flying home on the Saturday. Busy but such fun.
I prayed for a
beautiful older lady who had scoliosis and problems with her lower
back. After I had prayed she said that she had felt her spine move
and her leg grow. I had not even prayed about her leg! The next
morning she came and found me to tell me that she had slept the night
before for the first time in many years. Thank you Jesus!
The second day I got to
pray for a man who had no sense of smell and he saw no change.
However, about 10 minutes later he came back to find me very excited,
as he had been going to leave he had realised that the was smelling
things. How awesome is our God! Thank you Jesus!
The team I went with
were amazing and we had a great time together praying and prophesying
and because I am Papa's favourite, we even got some snow! I truly
did feel so blessed.
Since my last post I
have been thinking with Papa about what it means to honour the men
and women in my life and facing up to some of the ways that I have
dishonoured them in the past. I have realised that by choosing to
dishonour them I have bought into society's view instead of God's
view. No more! Now I choose to honour my brothers and sisters as
the sons and daughters of God that they are and to see them as God
sees them, as his treasure.
My question then, is
how do we honour one another as God intended? I don't think I have
the answer to this one yet but I have a few ideas and the ones I have
challenge my old thinking dramatically! One of the things Papa has
said to me is that to honour the men around me I need to honour how
he created them and the attribute he chose to demonstrate this with
was that they are protectors! This rattled me to begin with as I
like to think that I can protect myself, I have worked with some very
difficult and violent people in the past and have always been
alright.
As Papa began to
explain to me though I began to realise that I was not only
dishonouring men but also myself when I did not recognise this
quality in them. Very humbling! He said that when I allow a man to
protect me (whether it be a need for actual protection or him doing
something that cares for my wellbeing) then I am allowing him to say
that I am worth being protected, I am allowing him to honour the
identity as a woman that God has given me. It is not about whether I
am capable of protecting myself or not but about the honour I deserve
as a daughter of the King. Wow! On the same note, when I allow a man
to protect me I am honouring the God given identity he carries as a
protector. I love it!
Together, as men and
women, we reflect the glory of God and we need to learn how to
honestly and fearlessly honour one another in the identities that we
have been given. We are good gifts to each other if we choose to be
and can encourage and support one another through any trial or
circumstance. This is just the beginning of the journey for me but I
am committed to travelling this road and learning to honour the men
and the women in my life as God intended. Here's looking to the next
lesson!
The honour journey is
all linked in with my heart to see the end of the sex industry and
specifically, at present, to see sex tourism become something that is
not considered an okay holiday vacation but more on this as God
brings me more clarity on my next steps. For now, I just want to
keep the conversation going anyway I can, so if you have thoughts on
how we can honour men and women well or on why we should or even why
you think it matters, then I would love to hear from you, Please
comment below.
Until the next time
when I hope to talk a little about our upcoming trip to Azusa Now in
LA, so exciting! I am now fully paid up and ready to go, so a big
thank you to everyone who has contributed to this. It truly is going
to be a life changing event for many.
I hope you enjoyed
reading, bless you all.
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